Feinberg-Mngomezulu starts at flyhalf for Springboks against Wallabies, Pollard on bench

Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus has named his team for Saturday's opening Rugby Championship encounter against Australia in Brisbane.

The two notable selections are Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu starting at flyhalf and Elrigh Louw at No 8, with both players earning their first starts in a Springbok jersey.

Feinberg-Mngomezulu, who has been in red-hot form off the bench for the Boks, is preferred to veteran Handre Pollard, who will provide backline cover off the bench. Louw starts at No 8 after four appearances off the bench since his debut at the start of the 2022 season. 

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Erasmus has largely reverted back to the squad that featured in the two-Test series against Ireland last month. 

The match-day squad features only three changes from the group that faced the Irish, with the only new players being Louw, two-time Rugby World Cup-winning scrumhalf Cobus Reinach, and replacement utility forward Ben-Jason Dixon.

Only six players are retained in the squad from the 64-21 win over Portugal, namely Louw, Reinach, Dixon, Feinberg-Mngomezulu, RG Snyman (lock) and Kurt-Lee Arendse (wing).

The new halfback combination sees Reinach continue in the No 9 jumper in place of the Faf de Klerk, who is nursing a niggle. Grant Williams is the other backline reserve and will cover scrumhalf and wing, with Erasmus opting for a six-two forwards-backs bench split.

Erasmus said Snyman had picked up a niggle at training on Tuesday and will be monitored for the rest of the week.

15 Willie le Roux, 14 Cheslin Kolbe, 13 Jesse Kriel, 12 Damian de Allende, 11 Kurt-Lee Arendse, 10 Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, 9 Cobus Reinach, 8 Elrigh Louw, 7 Pieter-Steph du Toit, 6 Siya Kolisi (captain), 5 RG